Sons at War, Sons at Peace
One
Sons at War
The Old Testament is largely a story of sons at war with one another. Adam is the son of God, he’s made in God’s image and likeness, with intelligence and freedom. But of course, so is Lucifer. And in the third chapter of Genesis, we see God’s angelic child attack God’s human children. Then Adam and Eve experience the same thing with Cain and Abel: they watch as one of their sons attacks and kills the other son.
The fraternal fighting and conflict continues on down the line. It continues with Noah’s sons. And with Isaac’s sons. And with Jacob’s sons. And with David’s sons.
And what is sadder, what’s more heart-rending for a parent, than to watch your children fighting, to watch them hate each other, to see them estranged?
This is the sorrow God has felt from the beginning. It’s the sorrow that has infiltrated down through the human story. And if left to itself, it only escalates.
Two
The Escalation of Resentment
A passage from the Bible most people haven’t heard is the story of Lamech. He’s one of the descendants of Cain. He’s in the line of that famous brother-slayer. Lamech is also a bigamist. As far as we know, he’s the first one to not be satisfied with just one wife. And like other womanizers, Lamech is apparently insecure enough that he also needs to talk about what a macho stud he is.
At one point, he makes a little speech to his wives. He brags to his women about what a violent guy he is. He says, “I killed a guy, once, for wounding me. I killed a young man for bruising me.” But then he says, “If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech is avenged seven times seven times” (4:24).
Now that’s an interesting thing to say. He’s basically saying, “My ancestor Cain was vindictive and I’m way more vindictive.” And actually, that is what happens with vindictiveness, with resentment. It grows exponentially, like a cancer.
You can see it in a marriage, or a friendship, or a work-place relationship; or even the relationship between two countries. One person gets offended and then does something passive-aggressive to show they’re mad. And the other person gets mad at the first person’s passive-aggressive attitude and does something to show that now they’re mad. Before you know it, you’re in a cycle of resentment escalation. So the sons and daughters of God are at war.
Three
The Prince of Peace
In Isaiah 9, the prophet foretells that the Son who will be born to us will be called “Prince of Peace.”
This is the infant of Bethlehem. This is the King of the Universe, the Prince who will govern all creation. He is the supreme prince. And He is a Prince of Peace.
The wound at the heart of the universe is that the sons of God are constantly at war. Now the Eternal Son of God is entering the universe to heal that division. To end the war. He has come not to attack and kill the other children of God. He has come to heal and to die for them.
When the angels come to the shepherds to announce Christ’s birth, the whole heavenly host sings to celebrate the “peace on earth.” He’s come to give us peace. And He’s come to show us how peace is achieved.
Four
The Escalation of Forgiveness
Do you remember how Lamech said that Cain was avenged seven times, and then Lamech is avenged seventy-seven times? How he showed the exponential escalation of resentment, of bitterness, of enmity?
Well, there’s a passage in the Gospel that inverts that episode. It’s when Peter asks Jesus, “When my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive him? Seven times?” And Jesus says, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Do you see that it’s exactly the same proportions? It’s the same scale of escalation. Peter’s tentative willingness to forgive is completed by Christ’s total willingness to forgive.
The first gesture of forgiveness, like a first gesture of hostility, often launches an escalating cycle of forgiveness. The first person who says, “Listen, I’m sorry. I really am” often hears the response, “I’m sorry.” And then the children of God, following the Prince of Peace, enter into communion.
Five
Peacemakers as the Sons of God
The Eternal Son of God is the Prince of Peace. And if we would share in His Sonship, we have to be committed to peace. Jesus himself tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
So do you want to prepare for His coming? Do you want to enter into Advent? Do you want to be part of the communion of His Church? Then don’t participate in divisions. Don’t gripe about other Catholics, or about Church leadership. Don’t hold onto grudges. Forgive seventy-seven times – at work, in families, in our communities and in our country. And you will be blessed.